In the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiere, Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters ended up in a car wreck after a Saakar spaceship suddenly appeared in front of them. Today's episode revealed that The Hulk has boarded that craft and is heading back to the planet to deal with some unfinished business...what that is remains to be seen.
However, with rumours that Marvel Studios will finally be free of its distribution deal with Universal Pictures next year, the chances of a sequel to The Incredible Hulk seem high.
We've previously heard that Kevin Feige may be plotting World War Hulk, and it certainly looks like that's the case after today's big cliffhanger. With that in mind, we have some predictions for where the MCU could be about to take the Green Goliath, and you'd be right to be excited about what may be on the horizon!
To check out what we think could come next, simply click on the "Next" button down below.
5. World War Hulk...With A Twist
In the comic books, The Illuminati decides that The Hulk poses too much of a threat to Earth and agree to send him away. Ultimately, he lands on Sakaar, gets put through the wringer, and comes out the other side looking for revenge. Invading Earth with his Worldbreakers, the Jade Giant set out to make Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, and Mister Fantastic pay.
It's too late to adapt that storyline for the MCU, unfortunately, but there are still ways a version of it could happen.
The Hulk didn't know he had a son back on that alien planet, though we're guessing his live-action counterpart now does. Seeing as time moves differently on Sakaar, it's possible he's already an adult and looking to make his father pay for "abandoning" him.
How better to do that than by attacking his dad's home planet? Skaar launching an invasion of Earth after leaving The Hulk for dead on Sakaar would be a neat way to put a fresh spin on this story.
4. A New Hulk Personality Emerges
Smart Hulk has been the dominant personality since shortly after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. However, Bruce Banner merging his two halves has never really ended particularly well for him in the comic books, and we can't help but think the true Hulk wants to be freed.
We've seen the Savage Hulk in the MCU, of course, but the World Breaker Hulk would be nothing short of epic.
He retained much of his intelligence (think of him as being somewhere between Thor: Ragnarok's Green Goliath and this current iteration) and would obviously be the perfect choice of personality if The Hulk is about to invade Earth. With a Hulk furious that he's been held back by "puny Banner," a team-up with Skaar to establish their dominance would make for a fun movie.
Of course, we're sure that wouldn't sit well with She-Hulk or Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and this may be another way to get us to World War Hulk.
3. Planet Hulk
Thor: Ragnarok delivered a very loose adaptation of Planet Hulk, and the only thing it really had in common with that storyline was the fact that the Avenger was battling in a gladiator arena (oh, and Korg).
However, upon returning to a Sakaar that's no longer ruled over by The Grandmaster, the Jade Giant could quite easily find that his former home has fallen into complete disarray. Any number of cosmic villains may have taken over the arena, and The Hulk might be left with no other choice than to step up and fight again in order to free the planet's innocent inhabitants from tyranny.
Skaar could get in on the action, of course, and we could finally meet some of the other characters who eventually made up The Hulk's Warbound.
Crucially, we could also get some awesome cameos that Thor: Ragnarok was missing, including Beta Ray Bill and Silver Surfer.
2. Hulk Meets The Eternals
With The Hulk now in outer space, we have to consider some of the wider ramifications his trip to the stars might have. Yes, Planet Hulk and World War Hulk seem likely, but there is another less-expected route Marvel Studios could head down.
The Eternals left Earth in an effort to find answers about their past, and how better to counter their first movie's "Rotten" response than with an incredible team-up? Thena and company crossing paths with The Hulk would bring them into The Avengers' world and set the stage for them to play a bigger role when they eventually return home.
Throwing the Green Goliath and his son into their next adventure could be a lot of fun, especially with Eros and Pip the Troll also in the mix.
Eternals was too standalone in nature, and if Marvel Studios still can't make a solo movie featuring The Hulk, this could be the logical next step for him in the MCU before all these heroes come back to Earth in a bid to stop Kang the Conqueror.
1. World War Hulks
World War Hulks is a very different story to World War Hulk, and is actually a far more likely choice of adaptation for the MCU. The comic book version wasn't great, and all you really need to know is that a lot of fan-favourite superheroes ended up "Hulking Out" after Red Hulk set out on a path of destruction.
We're not sure what Marvel Studios would do with that character unless they plan to recast General Ross after William Hurt's death, but the prospect of Captain America, Spider-Man, and Captain Marvel, for example, briefly becoming Hulks is undeniably exciting. There have also been hints in She-Hulk that this is where the MCU could be heading.
The Hulk mentioned how important Jen's blood is and pointed out that, should anyone get their hands on it, more Hulks could be created.
That sure sounds like the premise of an action-packed new movie, don't you think?